Summer torpor in a free-ranging bat from subtropical Australia

Abstract

It is widely believed that torpor is mainly an adaptation of endotherms for cold stress and food limitation. We studied torpor use in the wild by a small tree-roosting microbat from a sub-tropical area during summer when food was abundant. Surprisingly, two torpor bouts per day were employed on each roost-day observed. The first bout occurred in the early morning and the second bout in the late afternoon, whilst a period of normothermia was maintained over the warmest part of the day. Torpor likely reduced energy expenditure substantially, and may be common in small microbats whose day-roosts are poorly insulated, even in sub-tropical climates.